Vote Smart provides easy access to congressional and state voting records and maintains a collection of key votes grouped by issue. Vote Smart uses the following criteria to select key votes:
Vote Smart provides a summary of the version of the bill text associated with each selected key vote. Our summaries are written by Vote Smart's staff and interns, who adhere to our strict policies and procedures in order to guarantee absolute impartiality and accuracy. They do not necessarily reflect the content of the final version of the bill, but rather the version voted on in that stage. While many procedural votes take place before a full chamber vote, our voting stages reflect the final reading of each chamber vote. Each key vote selection is reviewed by the project's community of advisors, who are political scientists and journalists from all fifty states.
For more information about the legislative process, see here.
| Date | State | Bill No. | Title | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2012 | MN | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Bill Passed - Senate (45 - 22) |
| May 7, 2012 | MN | HF 1752 | Authorizes Bonds for Construction Works | Bill Passed - House (99 - 32) |
| May 7, 2012 | IA | HF 2475 | Reduces Certain Business Property Taxes | Bill Passed - House (71 - 26) |
| May 3, 2012 | CA | AB 1527 | Prohibits Open Carry of Certain Unloaded Firearms | Bill Passed - House (44 - 29) |
| May 2, 2012 | AZ | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 20) |
| May 2, 2012 | NH | HB 1383 | Prohibits In-State Tuition for Non-US Residents | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 5) |
| April 30, 2012 | AZ | HCR 2004 | Establishes State Sovereignty Over Certain Natural Resources | Resolution Passed - Senate (16 - 14) |
| April 26, 2012 | National | S 1925 | Reauthorizing the Violence Against Women Act | Bill Passed - Senate (68 - 31) |
| April 25, 2012 | AZ | SB 1332 | Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (19 - 9) |
| April 25, 2012 | National | S 1789 | United States Postal Service Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (62 - 37) |
| April 24, 2012 | TN | HJR 587 | Opposes the United Nations Agenda 21 | Joint Resolution Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 23, 2012 | AZ | SB 1332 | Requires the Federal Government to Give Back Land to Arizona | Bill Passed - House (35 - 15) |
| April 20, 2012 | KY | HB 1 | Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (68 - 19) |
| April 20, 2012 | KY | HB 1 | Requires Use of Prescription Monitoring System by Physicians | Bill Passed - Senate (26 - 12) |
| April 19, 2012 | MO | HB 1534 | Prohibits Implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act | Bill Passed - House (108 - 44) |
| April 19, 2012 | CT | SB 245 | Authorizes People to Record Police Officers | Bill Passed - Senate (24 - 11) |
| April 19, 2012 | AL | HB 658 | Amends Immigration Regulations | Bill Passed - House (64 - 34) |
| April 19, 2012 | MO | HB 1860 | Prohibits Undisclosed Recording of Livestock | Bill Passed - House (108 - 32) |
| April 19, 2012 | MO | HB 1860 | Prohibits Undisclosed Recording of Livestock | Bill Passed - House (108 - 32) |
| April 18, 2012 | TN | HB 3517 | Expands Definition of Offense Against Fetuses | Bill Passed - House (80 - 18) |
| April 16, 2012 | OK | HB 2296 | Limits Certain Civil Liability for Mobile Home Park Operators | Bill Tabled - House (43 - 36) |
| April 16, 2012 | TN | SB 3345 | Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School | Bill Passed - House (63 - 29) |
| April 14, 2012 | ME | LD 1913 | Worker's Compensation Amendments | Bill Passed - Senate (22 - 13) |
| April 14, 2012 | ME | LD 1913 | Worker's Compensation Amendments | Bill Passed - House (71 - 69) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 12, 2012 | AZ | HB 2729 | Authorizes Guns in Certain Public Buildings | Bill Passed - Senate (19 - 11) |
| April 12, 2012 | TN | SB 3345 | Limits the Number of Foreign Nationals that May Work in a Charter School | Bill Passed - Senate (18 - 13) |
| April 12, 2012 | CA | AB 2127 | Authorizes Work Release for Certain Offenders | Bill Passed - House (48 - 24) |
| April 11, 2012 | WA | SB 5940 | Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits | Bill Passed - House (53 - 45) |
| April 11, 2012 | WA | SB 5940 | Amends Public School Employees Retirement Benefits | Bill Passed - Senate (25 - 20) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 11, 2012 | ME | LD 1810 | Regulatory Takings | Bill Passed - House (74 - 72) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 599 | Prenatal Care for Children of Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (31 - 15) |
| April 11, 2012 | NE | LB 1161 | Authorizes Land Study in Nebraska for Keystone XL Pipeline Route | Bill Passed - Senate (44 - 5) |
| April 10, 2012 | MS | SB 2771 | Expands Penalties for Child Homicide | Bill Passed - House (83 - 34) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (38 - 17) |
| April 9, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (39 - 15) |
| April 9, 2012 | MD | SB 236 | Septic System Installation Requirements | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (32 - 15) |
| April 9, 2012 | CO | SB 15 | College Tuition Rates for Undocumented Immigrants | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 14) |
| April 6, 2012 | MD | SB 236 | Septic System Installation Requirements | Bill Passed - House (93 - 45) |
| April 5, 2012 | MD | HB 443 | Establishes State Health Insurance Exchanges | Bill Passed - Senate (35 - 11) |
| April 4, 2012 | AZ | HB 2434 | Requires Federal Agents to Notify Local Law Enforcement Prior to Taking Action | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 8) |
| April 3, 2012 | AZ | HB 2199 | Authorizes Confidential Environmental Audits by Businesses | Bill Passed - Senate (20 - 9) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 63 | Authorizes Private Work-Oriented Rehbilitation Programs for Inmates | Bill Passed - House (73 - 22) |
| April 3, 2012 | IA | HF 2450 | Prohibits the Use of Traffic Cameras | Bill Passed - House (58 - 42) |
| April 3, 2012 | AL | SB 396 | Compensation to Bridget Lee for Wrongful Incarceration | Bill Passed - Senate (21 - 13) |
| March 30, 2012 | KY | SB 3 | Limits Over-the-Counter Purchases of Cold Medicine | Concurrence Vote Passed - Senate (29 - 8) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 1114 | Prohibits Assisted Suicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53) |
| March 29, 2012 | GA | HB 1114 | Prohibits Assisted Suicide | Concurrence Vote Passed - House (115 - 53) |
| March 29, 2012 | IL | Amendment No. 4 | Requires Physicians to Provide Information About Side Effects of Erectile Dysfunction Drugs | Amendment Rejected - House (32 - 68) |